What Caught My Eye Today

War on Terrorism - A federal judge struck down parts of the revised USA Patriot Act saying investigators must have a court's approval before they can order Internet providers to turn over records without telling customers saying the government orders must be subject to meaningful judicial review and that the recently rewritten Patriot Act "offends the fundamental constitutional principles of checks and balances and separation of powers." The American Civil Liberties Union had challenged the law, complaining that it allowed the FBI to demand records without the kind of court order required for other government searches. Sounds like 'Big Brother' took it in the shorts this time around. It must be aggravating to wage a wage on terrorism when little annoyances like the Constitution and Bill of Rights keep getting in the way.

China - President Bush and Chinese President Hu Jintao tackled contentious issues ranging from climate change and Iran and North Korea to recalls of tainted Chinese food and individual freedoms in China. Before meeting with Hu, Bush and his aides said he was eager to talk about increasing trade and climate controls and to express satisfaction with Beijing's role in pressing North Korea to agree to disavow nuclear weapons. But he was also ready to discuss product-safety issues following a rash of recalls in the United States, and to register his worries about China's exchange rate policies. Hu said their talks took place in a "friendly atmosphere." "We both expressed a desire to work toward further development and growth of the business and commercial ties to our two countries," said the Chinese leader. I sure hope, Bush isn't turning into a cream-puff on foreign policy. It's been almost a whole week and he has pissing off any foreign heads of state yet.

Global Economy - Global economic growth is likely to be dampened by the turbulence which has swept world markets, according to the International Monetary Fund (IMF). The IMF said it would be revising down its growth projections - with this year being more affected than 2008. The US would see the largest impact, with some parts of Europe also set to endure lower growth. Its comments came a day after the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development warned the US economy would slow sharply in the second half of 2007. Uncertainty over the size of losses in the sub-prime lending market has caused stock market turmoil. Oh goodie, another reason my boss can use to explain why I'm not getting a raise...again.

Opera - Luciano Pavarotti, opera's biggest superstar of the late 20th century, died He was 71. Pavarotti, who had been diagnosed last year with pancreatic cancer and underwent treatment last month, died at his home in his native Modena. Instantly recognizable from his charcoal black beard and tuxedo-busting girth, Pavarotti radiated an intangible magic that helped him win hearts in a way Placido Domingo and Carreras — his partners in the "Three Tenors" concerts — never quite could. Pavarotti scoffed at accusations that he was sacrificing his art in favor of commercialism. "The word 'commercial' is exactly what we want," he said after appearing in the "Three Tenors" concerts. "We've reached 1.5 billion people with opera. If you want to use the word 'commercial,' or something more derogatory, we don't care. Use whatever you want." I'm the last guy who could be accused of being an opera fan, but I must admit, Luciano had himself quite a set of pipes.

Steve Fossett - I'm a bit late on reporting this story. Rescue crews took to the skies over northwestern Nevada for a fourth day Thursday as authorities expanded the search for missing world record-setting aviator Steve Fossett. In all, the expanded search area is 200 to 300 miles wide and stretches 120 miles south from the small town of Yerington, Nev., to Bishop, Calif., on the eastern side of the Sierra Nevada. In all, it's an area about the size of Massachusetts. Fossett was on a mission to study possible dry lake beds for a planned attempt to break the world land speed record when he disappeared on Monday. Fossett's plane, a Bellanca Citabria Super Decathlon, carried both water and food, but there also were troubling signs: The missing plane's locator device had not sent a signal, there had been no communication from the plane's radio, and an emergency wristwatch Fossett wore to signal his location had not been activated. Some veteran pilots speculated he may have fallen victim to the treacherous Sierra Nevada winds that squeeze through the narrow canyons. Let's hope that the luck Fosset has had to date can hold out just a little bit longer, long enough for rescuers to find him alive and well.

Tennis - Tell me if you've heard this one before. Roger Federer maintained his dominance over Andy Roddick to reach the semi-finals of the US Open on Wednesday, keeping alive his bid to win four titles in a row in New York. The top seed and defending champion defeated the home favourite 7-6 (7/5), 7-6 (7/4), 6-2 in an intense night-time encounter that turned on two tie-breaks which brought out the brilliant best from the world's top player. Federer made it 26 wins in a row at the US Open. Over on the women's draw, Wimbledon champion Venus Williams outlasted Serbian third seed Jelena Jankovic 4-6, 6-1, 7-6 (7/4) to reach the US Open semi-finals, where she will defend family honor against Justine Henin. World number one Henin ousted Serena Williams in a quarter-final to put herself in the path of elder sister Venus, who is 7-1 lifetime with seven triumphs in a row against the Belgian star entering the semi-final showdown. Henin and Venus Williams, each a six-time Grand Slam winner, have not played each other since Williams beat Henin in a 2003 Australian Open semi-final. Beating both Williams sisters in the same Slam has been done only once, when Martina Hingis downed Serena in a quarter-final and Venus in a semi at the 2001 Australian Open. The game is definitely on at the USTA. You go, girlfriend.